Ten years after they shut down, the slopes of Detroit Mountain are alive again. It’s the result of millions of dollars in donations from a community that missed having skiing, snowboarding and tubing close by.

If you’ve ever wanted to try skiing or snowboarding, why not attempt it in 2015 by starting with a lesson. With that in mind, WCCO’s Natalie Nyhus and Mike Augustyniak — both skiers — decided to branch out and try snowboarding.

A winter sport unique to Minnesota has turned into an annual festival. The sport, a cross between snowboarding and wake surfing, was dreamed up by two brothers in their parent’s Mendota Heights front yard. Now, it has grown to become known as “WinchFest.”

Frank and Chris had great fun during their second day in Dresser, Wis. on Friday. The guys headed to Trollhaugen Outdoor Recreation Area, which has activities for every age and ability. There’s skiing and snowboarding, of course, and it’s all on perfectly groomed runs that help keep you upright. And they’re open until 3 a.m. on Friday nights!

As the Sochi Olympics loom, this is, without doubt, the documentary to see. Directed by Lucy Walker, The Crash Reel is a powerful and sobering look at the blood on the snow of the action sports world that forces us to question our devotion to sports cliches like “go big or go home.”

Whether it means hitting the slopes or riding the waves, many winter travelers have a few favorite destinations across America to cure the winter blues. The following are five of the best winter getaways in the U.S.

Don’t be surprised if you see snow-making machines busy at work Wednesday morning south of the Twin Cities. Buck Hill, one of the most popular ski hills in the Twin Cities, announced that it’s opening for the 2013-14 ski season at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

While there are some tricks involved, it may surprise you to learn that machine-made snow is made up of exactly the same stuff as natural snow. And while every ski resort has a different source of water, the one for Wild Mountain, in Taylors Falls, is at the top, in the form of a reservoir.

A one-of-its-kind winter sport had its day Saturday at Buck Hill in Burnsville. WinchFest 2013 celebrates a sport dreamed up by brothers Alex and George Miller. They started it a few years ago in the front yard of their parents’ Mendota Heights home.

When old man winter sets in, sometimes we forget how good we have it in our own backyard, and when it comes to skiing and snowboarding, we’ve got some great spots to get you up and moving this winter. Here’s a list of some of the best slopes near the Twin Cities.

For as long as winter has been covering us in a fluffy blanket of white, kids have fallen in love with a slick ride down a snow-covered slope. And at the Wirth Winter Recreational Area in Minneapolis, the slopes have never been so busy. Business is up significantly as revenues this season are already nearly double what they were last year.